Like A First Timer
by Shaun Garin
Summary: Element Universe. Set during the 2010 Things Explode Era. A shinigami sent on a mission. A dead body in Midchilda. And a young girl caught between worlds.


Like A First Timer

Written by Shaun Garin

*

*

The smell of the sea was predominant in the training grounds around the TSAB headquarters as Vivio shouldered her backpack. She had come to the grounds in order to see her mom before heading off to spend time with her friends, something she had done with regular frequency since she had been adopted.

'Four years… hard to believe I've been with Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama for that long…' mused Vivio to herself as she turned the corner.

Just then, a flash of yellow caught her eye, a familiar shade no less. Turning around, she noticed a body slip behind the alleyway. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Is that Fate-mama?"

Deciding her mom could wait for a moment, she jogged over to the alley. It was dimly lit due to the shadow of the two buildings pressed up against each other, but they were in a good part of town.

"Hello? Fate-mama did you come down here?" called out Vivio as she rounded the corner.

Then she stopped and stared at the leg sticking out from behind a dumpster. Her eyes went wide as she crept around the edge and peered out from behind it.

Vivio couldn't help it: she screamed at the top of her lungs and ran away from the lifeless corpse of Fate T. Harlouwn.

*

*

Vivio didn't know how long she had ran, only that she ran blindly, looking for someone to help her. Her mother couldn't be dead, she just couldn't!

In a panic, she stumbled into a briefing room, winded, eyes filled with fear as a familiar blonde turned around. "Oh Vivio-chan, what are you doing in here?" inquired Fate, perfectly healthy.

Vivio couldn't help it: she passed out, slumping to the floor face-first.

The next thing Vivio knew, she was laying on her back with a pair of concerned faces hovering over her, a tiny girl placing a cold wash cloth on her forehead. "Vivio? You fainted on us," said Fate, leaning over.

"FATE-MAMA!" Vivio shot upwards, clonking her head on Fate's chin and falling back down. Her arms shot up and she wrapped them around the woman, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I thought you were dead!"

Nanoha shared a look with Fate, one quizzical and Rein who was holding the soggy cloth inquired, "Dead? No, Fate-san's just fine! See?"

"If a little bruised," said Fate, rubbing her chin. "Vivio, why did you think I was dead?"

"Buh… buuuuh…" stammered Vivio. "But I saw you! You were laying behind a dumpster with your eyes open and glassy! You LOOKED dead!"

"I'll go check it out," said Nanoha, sharing a glance with the other woman. Fate nodded and Nanoha paused to give her daughter a quick hug.

"Sounds like a scary nightmare to me desu," remarked Rein as she wrung out the cloth again and held it out to Fate who placed it on Vivio's forehead. "Stress maybe?"

"NO!" exclaimed Vivio. "I saw her! She wasn't dressed in a uniform though, just a causal top and pants, but…!"

"Hush, just rest. We'll figure this out." Soothed Fate and Vivio nodded, clinging to her mother.

*

*

"I checked out the scene," said Nanoha when she returned. Vivio had fallen asleep in Fate's lap so she added in a low voice, "There's signs of SOMETHING laying there but it's long since gone. The trash piles were shifted."

"Strange," said Fate, rubbing her chin in thought. "If Vivio saw someone blonde laying there, could it be someone else who looks similar?"

"Maybe," said Nanoha. "I'm not a CSI but I can tell that something about your size was laying there for an extended period of time. There were tracks but they're long since faded away."

"Tracks? Who could leave tracks on pavement?" inquired Fate.

"Someone heavy enough or not smart enough to step into a discarded soda can," replied Nanoha. "So whoever was "sleeping" there either abandoned their shoe or just… flew away."

"I'll check on flight records. If it was a mage, then they've got to have a clearance somewhere." Added Rein, the girl flying to her desk.

"Poor Vivio though," said Nanoha, sitting down and stroking the sleeping girl's hair. "She must have been under a lot of stress to mistake someone for you. I hope we haven't had a murder on our hands though."

Fate nodded, sighing.

*

*

The smell of the sea was what characterized this place. So different from her training in Karakura Town.

A lithe human form stood atop a light post, checking messages on a cell phone. One of them was a berating text message, possibly from R and D about leaving important things behind. Sighing, she scrolled to the next notification.

_Hollow. 10 Minutes. Matsuri District._

With a smell of ozone, the form vanished.

*

*

Vivio was cutting it late that day, having overslept. So she was hurrying her way to school. Still shook up from the thing she saw the day before, she was trying to push it to the corner of her mind.

She was cutting across a park, trying to avoid the heavy traffic when she noticed the TSAB walling off a area of the street. Then she noticed a familiar blue-haired woman and waved. "Ginga-san!"

"Ah, Vivio-chan!" exclaimed Ginga, waving the girl over. "Are you going to school?"

"Uh huh, but I'm going to be late as is," replied Vivio with an embarrassed chuckle, taking in the sight of the ruined street and walls. "What happened here?"

"We're not entirely sure," replied Ginga, folding her arms. "Civilians who were asked about it last night witnessed the street exploding from impacts, and strange winds being kicked up. They also noticed the smell of ozone, and one of them swore they could see something being fought in the mists that followed."

"Sounds spooky," said Vivio, stooping down and looking at the impacts that had a series of ragged slices cut into it. "Something or someone was fighting and no one could see it?"

"Yes, and this isn't the first time it's happened. Lately, strange attacks and damage have shown up everywhere. Those who do claim to see it often give wild stories. We can't pin them down." Ginga sighed. "I'm not too sure what to make of this."

"I see…" Vivio stood back up, hitching her backpack up. "I'm going to school then. I'm late as is."

"Do you need a ride?" inquired Ginga curiously.

"No, I'm super late now. I'll be there by second period. The worst I'll get is a stern lecture from Nanoha-mama and a boat of homework from first period math." The blonde made a face and headed off.

Ginga nodded, watching Vivio go. "Well at least she's honest…"

Looking around, the woman sighed. This would take a long time to repair as the damage was extensive. Then, out of the corner of her eye she noticed something, a flash of blonde hair as a woman ducked behind an alleyway. Scowling, Ginga followed and rounded the corner a moment in time to see a familiar flash of blonde tear off in what appeared to be a Sonic Move. "Fate-san?"

*

*

"That's three damaged districts one day after another," said Hayate, looking over the reports. Her closest friends were gathered there, Nanoha, Fate and two more, Yuuno and Ginga. Rein was also shuffling through reports as well. "And all of the sightings that we managed to get was a woman with blonde hair."

"Which is impossible since I have witnesses with me," said Fate, her brow furrowed in thought. "What's going on?"

"I have a… slight theory," said Yuuno. "Lately these strange attacks have shown up in other worlds, some TSA-governed, some not. But they all match up to the formal reports of invisible assailants and sometimes dead people. For the rest, I can't be sure."

"A lost logia you think?" inquired Nanoha.

"I can't say," replied Yuuno, shaking his head.

"I saw the not-Fate today too," said Ginga. "She vanished before I could call out to her, just moving at a speed I was unable to follow."

Fate looked up in surprise. "Even with….?" She said, implying Ginga's eyes.

"Yes, even with my eyes," replied Ginga. "Which means this is FASTER than Sonic Move, if even more."

"I don't like it. Unknown attackers, people feeling creeped out at night, and now sightings of a woman who looks like Fate… this is getting spooky." Said Hayate.

"And of course no one's accusing Fate-san of these things, but we need to step up security," said Rein.

"Agreed," nodded Fate. "I'll patrol tonight, along with a second."

"Take Vita with you," said Hayate. "She's been itching for a fight since one of these attacks happened near our home."

*

*

"Going home late Vivio-chan?" inquired the teacher as Vivio nodded.

"Yes, I wanted to finish up my homework before heading back." Said Vivio. "Fate-mama and Nanoha-mama are working late tonight so I thought I'd just get a burger on the way back."

"All right. Have a safe trip then."

"I will!" Packing up her things, Vivio headed out of the classroom. The weather was clear but the moon was already out, a testament to how late she had spent working. "Boy I hope they're not waiting for me back home…"

Breaking into a jog, Vivio headed down the roads, each of them well lit. Even in a safe city such as Mid-Childa's capital, it was always a little spooky at night time with the smell of the sea and the hum of street lamps.

"I wish I brought Kris with me," murmured Vivio as she cut across a park. Even the trees seemed like they were looming that evening. In her haste to leave for school she had left her Device at home.

Suddenly, a cool wind rustled the leaves and Vivio stopped. The bushes rustled and she swallowed. "Who's there?"

All around her, the trees seemed to rustle to life as Vivio looked around, shifting into a combat stance. "Come on out! I'm warning you, I'm a trained mage!"

"Vivio?" Vivio fell out of stance at the familiar voice as Vita came out of the underbrush, Gralf Eizen slung over her shoulder. "What are you doing out here this late?"

"Vita-san, I was just coming home when…!" protested Vivio and the small red head sighed.

"C'mon let's get you ho-GAH!" Without warning, Vita was hurled into the underbrush from a powerful attack from nowhere. A chilling laugh echoed in Vivio's ear and she screamed for Vita.

"Damn, what the hell?!" exclaimed Vita as she brought her Device to bear. "Where did that come from?! Vivio RUN!"

"But…!" exclaimed Vivio and the earth shook, knocking her to the ground. "What's going on?!"

"Tch… come out you bastards!" Creating several iron balls, she launched them in random directions, hitting nothing. Another wave of unseen force crashed into the Iron Knight and she went flying into a lake.

Vivio swallowed down fear at the chilling laugh that echoed again. "Where are you!? WHAT are you?"

"Oh?" laughed the unseen assailant. "You can hear me? Mmm, that means you've got a good spirit. I'll eat you… before you can even move!"

Vivio scrambled to her feet, backing up but then, something clamped around her with crushing force. She screamed in pain as a terrible claw seemed to manifest around her. "STOP! LEMME GO!"

"Not today delicious snack!" chortled the owner of the voice. "I'm going to eat you all—AAAH!"

Without warning, Vivio dropped to the ground as she could have SWORN hot blood sprayed across her. Not sworn, she saw that she was covered from head to toe in black-hued blood as the creature, for it could only be described as one shimmered into view. It was vaguely reptilian with a long tongue extending from a white-faced mask. It had only one hand now as a tall blonde woman stood in front of her protectively.

"That hurt, shinigami bitch! I will eat you befo—GAK…!"

"Shut up," said the woman, sheathing her katana at her side as the creature started to dissolve. "Tch.. that took too long…"

Turning around, she locked eyes with Vivio. "You… you're the child who…"

"FATE-MAMA!" Without warning, Vivio launched herself and grabbed the woman around her waist, crying into her chest. The woman froze in surprise as Vivio continued to cry and she awkwardly patted her head.

"BLEAH," growled Vita, having pulled herself out of the lake. "That sucked. Oi Vivio, what the heck are you crying for?"

"Huh?" Vivio asked, looking up, and then looking at Fate and then Vita. "You… you…? Fate-mama's right here?"

Vita peered at Vivio who seemed to be clutching air. "Uh, kid? There's no one there…"

"She can't see us; she's not aware…" soothed the woman. "I'll explain later, just please let me go?"

Reluctantly, Vivio let go of the woman who smiled and said, "Go get yourself cleaned up, and I'll explain everything later. Oh, and my name is Alicia." With that, the woman named Alicia leaped to the top of a tree and vanished, leaving a bewildered Vivio and a puzzled Vita.

*

*

Vivio scrubbed herself clean that night and came out to see Vita waiting for her. "Okay Vivio, you're clean. I still didn't see any blood on you though."

Vivio shivered. "Believe me it was THERE. And dried blood is so hard to get out of clothing."

Vita looked at the seemingly immaculate clothing laying to the side in a bag. "Uh yeah, I'll take your word for it."

Sitting down, Vita sighed and handed her a cup of tea. "Here. I made this while you were in the shower."

"Thanks…" sipping it, she sighed. "So you didn't see any of it? The big monster and the woman who looked like Fate-mama?"

"None of it, save for I guess that big monster of yours pitching me into the lake." Replied Vita. "Damn, if I could have seen it I would have pounded it to rubble!"

"Uh huh… it's strange it was so creepy… and that woman… who looked like Fate-mama? She said her name was…"

Quite suddenly, a knocking at the door interrupted the pair as Fate burst in followed by Nanoha. "Vita! Vivio-chan!"

"We're okay, she's got no damage," said Vita. "But what she's telling me is pretty crazy."

"It's not crazy, it's the truth!" exclaimed Vivio. "I saw that woman fight the monster, she cut it in half!"

"Vivio? We saw the tape. There was nothing there," said Nanoha. "But… this woman… who…?"

"She said her name was Alicia," replied Vivio and it was like a brick fell on everyone's heads.

"… Alicia? She didn't give a last name did she?" inquired Fate, her voice soft.

"No, just Alicia. But she looked exactly like you." Replied Vivio. "Mama, is this the Alicia who…?"

"We honestly don't know," sighed Nanoha. "Vivio, are you okay though? We saw you being held up by something…"

"A monster," corrected Vivio. "Not some thing. A monster with a white mask for a face. I can even draw it."

"Monster." Said Nanoha, agreeing. "All right, we'll see about getting you to draw it, tomorrow."

*

*

"I didn't have to be driven to school today," said Vivio as Fate pulled up in front of it.

"Vivio, please, just this once? After last night…" said Fate.

Vivio's expression softened. "All right. Sorry." She hugged her and got out of the car. "Pick me up at three then?"

"I'll be waiting," smiled Fate as she drove off.

Vivio sighed. After one attack, it was like her moms were back in Super-Protective mode again. Turning around she jumped as Fate, no, ALICIA, stood there with a little smile, dressed in her black robes. "Gah!"

"Shhh," grinned Alicia as she gestured Vivio over. "I wanted to check on you after the Hollow attack."

Following the woman to the side of the building, Vivio asked, "Are you really my Aunt Alicia? The one who…?"

"Died? Yes I am," replied Alicia with a sad smile. "And you're my sister's daughter, Vivio. I read up on your profile before arriving here."

"What…? What was that monster again? A hollow?" asked Vivio. "What's this all about?"

"Well, before I explain, let me say that my even talking to you isn't a good idea," said Alicia. "But since I saved you, and you could barely see me before proves that we have to nip this in the bud. Yes, I am dead, and have been for years now. My job as it were is similar to your mothers, but I work for a group called the Shinigami. The Soul Reapers. Death Gods."

"Sounds creepy. And you… fight these hollows?" asked Vivio.

"Exactly. Our job is to prevent them from preying on souls of the dead, and the living. What you saw yesterday was called a Gigai, a false-body that I'm afraid you stumbled upon the day before. I kind of lost my soul candy the day before and had to dump my body somewhere to go and fight a Hollow." At this, Alicia laughed nervously, and Vivio could definitely see where her Fate-mama got the adorable embarrassed expression.

Vivio's eyes went wide, remembering the seemingly dead Fate in the alleyway. "So that was… you?"

"A body without a soul, yes," replied Alicia. "You see, I need it to blend in here, to be physical. No one really SEES me however without it. You're the first magic user I've seen here that actually can. Magic and Spiritual Reiatsu don't mix often."

"I see… and these monsters, hollows, they…?"

"Devour the dead and the living. I'm surprised because hollows usually stick to one part of the multiverse. But with the problems on Earth boiling over, the boundaries of Hueco Mundo and Mid-Child are weakening slightly, just enough to let a few strays in." She frowned at that. "For that matter, I'm not allowed back on Earth for a while, not until the small infestation of Hollows is wiped out here." Alicia rubbed her chin and added, "I'm kind of surprised though that you can see me here, considering that it takes a certain level of spiritual awareness to see me. Ghosts are one thing, but Shinigami and Hollows are another."

"I see," said Vivio again. "Um, Aunt Alicia, how am I going to explain this to my family?"

"I'd rather you not, considering the fact that you have no way to prove that I'm alive unless I use my Gigai which is stored in the shed over there," said Alicia, gesturing to the tool shed which was slightly ajar. "I try to avoid everyone as best as I can but…"

"But… I'm sure Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama would be overjoyed to find out you still live! Or, well, I mean…" Vivio blushed and rubbed her fingers together. "You know what I mean right?"

"Well I dunno…" said Alicia, moments before her pocket buzzed. Reaching into her sleeve, she pulled out a phone with a rabbit dangly on it, flipping it open. She scowled. "Something's wrong…"

A bellowing roar echoed across the air and Vivio shivered. "What was that? Another monster, a hollow?"

"Yes," replied Alicia, swapping to scanner. "We're getting two… three… oh crap…" Looking at Vivio she sighed. "Vivio, you need to find your parents and get them to safety, NOW. The other reason I'm here just popped up."

"What? What's going on?" inquired Vivio moments before the tree-line exploded, revealing a white face. "AAH!"

"DIE!" In an instant, the hollow was cut down. "Vivio, I'll explain later, just go find your parents quickly! I can't risk them going out to fight these things without a target!"

"Y-yes!" Vivio took off as Alicia turned around as two more hollows appeared.

"Tch… looks like I'm too late for my secondary objective…'

*

*

Vice pulled himself free from the wreckage of the car that was suddenly upturned by a hideous monster that appeared in front of him. Looking up at it, the monster leered down at him. "Oh no you are not thinking of eating me!" exclaimed the Sniper, rolling away from a claw strike as his device flashed into action.

Firing several bolts at it, the monster staggered backwards in pain as Vice smirked. "So you beasts CAN be hit! TAKE THIS!"

Charging up a powerful blast, the monster exploded into a thousand pieces as he exhaled. "Damn, that was a new car too…"

Getting up, he scowled as he watched the monsters tromp all over. Some people noticed them, some didn't. "What's going on here? These things aren't natural!"

The ground shook suddenly as a large reptilian-type Hollow slammed to the ground behind him and he twisted, firing again. "GET BACK!"

The Hollow's claws scarred the pavement as Vice grit his teeth. "Damnit a little help here?"

"AXEL SHOOTER!"

In an instant, pink beams ripped through the space that the Hollow occupied, blasting it into fragments as he exhaled, turning around to look at Nanoha who helped him up. "Thanks, Nanoha."

"Thank you. You finally gave me a target," said Nanoha. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, but this place is full of monsters," said Vice, wincing as he heard the Hollows screech again. "You can't see them?"

"No I can't, but some members of the Riot Forces can. That's why we're dispatching mages to help deal with whatever it is we're shooting at," admitted Nanoha.

"Tch… troublesome…" Shouldering his device, he added, "I'll shoot at the creeps. You follow up with a barrage. It'll be close, but looks like magic works on them if you can hit them."

*

*

"To your left, Ginga-san!"

Ginga lashed out and with surprising accuracy, slammed a fist into the side of the Hollow's face.

"Now above you!"

Subaru kicked out and the Hollow died under the impact. Landing, she groaned. "This is ridiculous! I can feel the impacts but I can't see worth diddy squat!"

"Keep focused," suggested her elder sister. "Shari-san's the only person we've found so far who can see these things."

"True… but this is getting stupid," replied Subaru with a smirk. "Shari, any more?"

"Two straight ahead. Careful, they've got blades on their arms!" called out the bespectacled technician.

The sisters nodded and launched themselves at the Hollows, feeling good when their fists impacted on what felt like hard bone. Impact craters blossomed beneath their opponents and Subaru laughed. "All right! That takes care of these guys!"

"At least for now," sighed Shari, worried that she had been dragged into this crazy messed up version of an invisible fire fight, not noticing the Hollow that appeared out of the ground behind her.

"BEHIND YOU!"

Shari turned around just in time to see Vivio plough into the Hollow, knocking it to the ground with a flying kick. Landing, the girl turned to Shari and said, "These things can appear out of the ground, be careful!"

"Vivio-chan, you can see them too?" said Shari. And then she felt like slapping herself. "Of course you can."

The Hollows that the sisters had knocked down were getting up, but in a scream that even the spiritually-deaf could feel, were sliced in half by a razor-sharp katana. "Vivio I told you to run!" exclaimed Alicia hotly, turning on the one that Vivio knocked down and cutting it down as well. "Not play the hero!"

"Sorry Aunt Alicia, I saw Shari-san in trouble so I had to do something!" exclaimed Vivio, earning a shocked glance from Shari. "Shari-san, this is my aunt Alicia."

"Pleasantries'll have to be brief, we've got Hollows to kill," said Alicia. "Shari is it? Please tell me how many people in the TSAB forces can see hollows and have reported in."

"Ah, yes of course!" Bringing up a computer screen, she checked the reports and said, "Twenty six members of the TSAB. Several of them are ranked officers and are leading the charge against… Hollows was it?" Alicia nodded. "There's been injuries, no casualties yet."

"Good." Alicia sighed. "Looks like I failed my second objective here."

"Second objective… you said that before." Said Vivio.

"Yes I did." Shouldering the katana, she sighed. "Someone on this world managed to procure a spiritual item from our world, Earth. It's a very dangerous item that looks like a Jewel Seed. We believe someone mistook it for a Jewel Seed and was planning on selling it. They're probably dead now since the Hollows congregate on the location of the broken item. It's called Hollow Bait, and it does EXACTLY what you think it does."

"So… someone SUMMONED all of these monsters?" exclaimed Shari. "But then why are they invisible?"

"Only the spiritually aware can see them, and that makes them even MORE tempting and delicious meals for hollows. A shinigami, such as myself, are charged to fight them and purify their souls, sending them on." Alicia rubbed her forehead. "I swear, I let this go out of control. If Captain Zaraki heard of this, he'd have my head for not picking up my slack. And then it's "Remedial Fight Club" as Vice-Captain Yachiru would call it."

"He's that scary?" inquired Vivio and Alicia shivered. "R-right…"

"AAANYway," drawled Alicia, trying to change the subject, "Put out a command to every spiritually aware person to draw into a single area. That'll attract the Hollows to their location so I can finish them off."

"Wait," said Shari. "Seems that we can hurt them with magic. Can't we help?"

"Well…. It could be useful to have mages spam attacks in their general direction," mused Alicia. "Since magic can hurt the dead… all right."

"I'm helping too! Hollows are attracted to me so I can draw strays in," said Vivio.

"No way!" exclaimed Subaru who, like Ginga were listening to the one-sided discussion. "Your mom would have our heads Vivio-chan!"

"Sadly it's our only choice right now," said Alicia and Shari sighed. "Shari-san please…"

"You know…" said Ginga. "If Vivio rode on Subaru or my backs, we could get MORE monsters to follow us since we can move faster on Wing Road."

Subaru sputtered. "Oneesan?! You can't be serious! Nanoha'll kill us for endangering Vivio!"

"It's not YOUR decision though," said Vivio suddenly. "I want to help, and Aunt Alicia is right: we need as many spiritually aware people to act as bait. I hate it myself but I can't let more innocent people get hurt!"

"Then we're in agreement?" asked Alicia and Vivio nodded, Shari as well. "Very well. I'll trust you to gather the skyborne Hollow while I fight towards the center of the city. That's where the signal for the Hollow Bait was broken." With that, the woman vanished in a shundo.

In the silence that followed, Ginga put in, "That was possibly the strangest one-sided conversation I've ever heard. Mind filling us in Shari?"

"All right. I'll relay the information too."

*

*

The center of the city was devoid of citizens, but there were many men and women clustered around the area, protected by mages. Vice and Nanoha were two of them, the pair watchful.

"There's at least a hundred out there," said Vice, watching the Hollows gather in search of prey. "Glad you can't see this Nanoha, these things are UGLY."

"I'd feel better knowing Vivio wasn't a part of this," said Nanoha with a sigh. She had been contacted by Shari and, as predicted, flipped her lid at the plan. "Do you think this… Alicia is trustworthy?"

"Vivio trusts her, so that's enough for me," replied Vice, taking a pot-shot at a weak Hollow that died instantly. "Sucks we have to work as bait though."

"I agree…"

The telltale arcs of twin Wing Roads zoomed down next to them as Vivio carried by Subaru and Shari in Ginga's arms landed. "Well we brought the guests," said Ginga. "How many did we count?"

"Forty at least," replied Ginga.

"Mama!" exclaimed Vivio as she got off Subaru's back in full Jacket Mode. "Sorry…"

"It's okay Vivio-chan," replied Nanoha with a smile, hugging her daughter. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"Where's Fate-mama?" inquired Vivio. "She hasn't been hurt has she?"

"She'll be here momentarily," said Vice. "Seems like she wound up escorting a few more spiritually aware citizens to the fight zone. I don't like it myself but…"

"Well… no time like the present I suppose," remarked Shari, looking at the virtual army surrounding them. "This is going to be tricky…"

"You have no idea," said Alicia, coming out of Shundo in front of them, startling Vice. "I'm going to have to release my zanpakutou to deal with this many. What a pain…"

"How many can you get in a single slice?" inquired Shari.

"Oh don't worry about that. Gewitter and myself can handle as many as a thousand. Just make sure none of them break the line, okay?" Alicia smiled at the group before turning around and striding out. "No one gets past me, got it?!"

"Yes ma'am!" exclaimed Vice, Vivio and Shari as one.

"Um… who were you talking to?" inquired Nanoha curiously.

"Aunt Alicia," said Vivio with a confident smile. "You'll like her, Nanoha-mama."

Striding out into the middle of the mess, Alicia exhaled. "All right… time to put you guys down." Drawing her zanpakutou in a single slice, she yelled, "ABBRUCHGEWUTTER!"

There was a crackle of ozone and a roaring of thunder that even the mages could feel as her spiritual pressure flooded the area. The simple blade elongated into a 10 foot katana, the blade exploding into crackling electricity. The Hollows, sensing their opponent, charged her as the first swing cleaved a dozen in half.

"Holy shit," murmured Vice as he watched her work. "She's got a lightning blade. Like sister like sister I suppose. Though I think her footwork's better than Fate's… no offense or anything."

Vivio winced as she braced herself against the barricade. "Such… enormous pressure too! Feels almost choking from the intensity!"

"Boy, I'm glad I can't feel it," remarked Subaru, steadying the girl. "Shari, are you holding up well?"

"I've been better," groaned Shari, having sunk to her knees. "Magic certainly doesn't have this effect on people!"

"INCOMING!" snapped Vice, taking a shot at a few Hollows that breeched the line. Nanoha levelled Raising Heart and fired, followed by several more shots that slammed into the hollows, driving them back and into a cleaving swing from Alicia's thunder blade. "Man, this is unreal."

"Hollow count is diminishing. I count at least five dozen still," reported Shari who managed to peek over the barricade. "She's dealing with them with such a brutal efficiency too."

"Sucks we can't go out there and bust some heads though," sighed Subaru. "I can't see these things worth a damn. Still hurts when I get hit though."

"Better we find a way to see them rather than get killed fighting an invisible opponent," replied Nanoha.

In a crackle of thunder, the last hollow fell and Alicia stood up, breathless and a little bloody, but otherwise unscathed. "Took longer than I thought. Fifth-seat is going to have WORDS with me."

Walking back to the group, she smiled at them. "Again, I'm sorry for dragging you all into this."

*

*

It was something of an odd gathering, having two identical women in the room. But the contrast in their personalities was incredible. Fate was quiet, gentle. Alicia was loud, boisterous and apparently fight-happy, something she and Nanoha had in common. In the Wrap Up Party, something Alicia insisted on doing as a Gotei 11 tradition after a big Hollow battle, the mood had increased exponentially as the woman relegated tale after tale of the Shinigami Corps, and their madcap daily lives. Soon, a full party was in swing, and even Vivio was allowed to stay up late for it.

As the party wore on and more sake and juice were passed around, Fate found herself standing on the balcony with her sister, watching the sea. "It's nice, isn't it?" said Alicia.

"Yes it is," replied Fate. "Um…"

"Hmm?" inquired Alicia. "What is it?"

"About mother… how is she?"

Alicia smiled and reached out, squeezing her sister's hand reassuringly. "She's fine. Death snapped her out of her madness and now she lives with me in the Shinigami quarters. Although she has no spiritual power."

Fate blushed a little. "Can you tell her I still call her mother?"

"I'll give her a hug for you," said Alicia. "And you know? We should never let our two groups meet."

"After what you told me of your Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, I'd be loathe to let Nanoha-chan meet him. Or anyone else for that matter." Giggled Fate. "The damage would be incredible."

"Oh yes," said Alicia with a wide grin. "But who knows? If I stick around here long enough, even the spiritually deaf will start developing awareness. And Mid-Childa's FAR from the usual Hollow attack routes anyhow."

"How long are you going to be here?" inquired Fate.

"I can't say," replied Alicia, shrugging. "Anywhere from a couple more weeks to a year. Things are… kind of bad back home right now. I've been assigned as a borderland patrol unit because bad stuff is happening back on Earth."

"When you mean bad stuff, do you mean… war?"

Alicia bit her lip. "Yeah…. Between the Hollows and Shinigami. Or rather, former-captain Aizen and his goon squad of Arrancar. I'm not strong enough to join that fight, not by a LONG SHOT. I may have shikai but that's not enough to fight an Arrancar face to face. They're at least equivalent to Hayate-chan completely unlocked."

Fate paled a little. "And these beings are running rampant across Earth?"

"Yep. Don't worry, Soul Society has it under control. I think." Alicia smiled as she hugged her sister. "Its okay, no one we love there will get hurt. I promise."


End file.
